Summary

Media caption,

BBC Verify analyses footage of the killing of Hamas leader

  1. Israeli minister confirms blockade on Northern Gazapublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 18 October

    rows of lorries carrying humanitarian aid lined up at sides of street waiting to be allowed into GazaImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Israel has been urged to facilitate the access of more aid into Gaza

    The Israeli minister for diaspora affairs, Amichai Chikli, confirms that Israel's government has imposed a blockade on northern Gaza.

    "We've created a blockade with our forces. We allowed the civilian population to escape into the safe zone, and we prevented supply to enter the blockade region," Chikli tells BBC Newshour.

    The minister says the blockaded area - which includes Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia - was a "very specific region where Hamas was trying to recover its administration and its military capabilities".

    He insists the practice is "legal according to international law" and "a well-known and relevant practice to use in a war against a terror organisation", as he dismisses criticism from the US.

    Washington earlier this week threatened to cut down some military aid to Israel unless the government boosted humanitarian aid access in Gaza.

  2. Dozens of aid trucks have entered northern Gaza, Israeli military body sayspublished at 15:52 British Summer Time 18 October

    A side view of a lorry carrying aid.Image source, Israel Defense Forces

    The Israeli military body responsible for managing crossings into Gaza says 30 trucks carrying humanitarian aid have entered northern Gaza today.

    The announcement by Cogat follows a warning by the US on Sunday calling on Israel to increase aid delivery to Gaza within 30 days or risk the suspension of arms supplies.

    In a post on X, Cogat says the aid, which includes "food, water, medical supplies and shelter equipment", was transferred to the Gaza Strip through the Erez West crossing.

    It adds that Israel would "continue to operate in accordance with international law to facilitate and allow the humanitarian response for the Gaza Strip".

    Since Israel began a renewed military offensive in northern Gaza nearly two weeks ago, humanitarian groups say that virtually no aid has entered the area.

    A graphic shows the amount of aid that has entered Gaza in the last six months

    Israel's own statistics show that aid deliveries to Gaza as a whole have collapsed when compared with the same period in September, prompting accusations that the Israeli military is blocking food aid deliveries in a bid to starve out Hamas fighters.

  3. US views Sinwar's death as an opportunity for diplomacypublished at 15:25 British Summer Time 18 October

    Tom Bateman
    State Department correspondent

    I’ve just come off a press briefing call with the White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, who’s in Berlin with President Joe Biden.

    I asked him why Benjamin Netanyahu would now reach for diplomacy on the same terms as the derailed ceasefire deal, given he was now in a stronger position and Hamas in a weaker one.

    Biden wants to urgently reinstate the talks. But I put it to Kirby that yesterday Netanyahu appeared to be calling for unconditional release of hostages, not offering Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and ceasefire as the deal does.

    “I don't know that his comments yesterday necessarily connote a move on the goalposts when it comes to getting the hostages home,” Kirby said.

    “Hamas could simply release all the hostages right now, do the right thing and let them go… as the prime minister said before.

    "We'll see what Hamas does and how they react to Sinwar’s killing, but [there are] no signs as you and I are speaking right now that that’s in the offing,” he added.

    “[That’s] why the president made it clear last night on a couple of occasions, and again today, that this moment of justice also provides us a moment of opportunity to see what we can do to get those hostages home and also to get a surge of humanitarian assistance into the people of Gaza who so desperately need it.”

    John Kirby speaks to reportersImage source, Reuters
  4. Gaza death toll rises to 42,500, Hamas-run health ministry sayspublished at 15:04 British Summer Time 18 October

    At least 42,500 Palestinians have been killed and 99,546 others wounded since Israel began its military offensive in Gaza after the7 October Hamas-led attack, the enclave's Hamas-run health ministry says.

    The toll includes 62 deaths and 300 others injured over the past 24 hours, the ministry adds.

  5. Hamas military wing 'will not stop until Palestine is liberated'published at 15:00 British Summer Time 18 October

    In the wake of its leader's death, the military wing of Hamas has issued a statement that recommits the Iran-backed group to fighting until "Palestine is liberated".

    The al-Qassam Brigades says resistance factions know the price of liberation is very high and adds that they are prepared to lose their soldiers and leaders in the course of the struggle.

    The group says it refuses "to submit to the enemy" and its struggle "will not stop until Palestine is liberated, the last Zionist is expelled from it".

    This was a sentiment that was echoed by the militant group Hezbollah, which vowed its continued "support for our Palestinian people".

    In a statement, the Iran-backed group went on to express its "deepest condolences" over the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

    Hezbollah described Sinwar as a "martyr" who "carried the trust and torch of leadership" from his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in July.

  6. Italy's prime minister lands in Lebanon amid Unifil rowpublished at 14:45 British Summer Time 18 October

    Giorgia Meloni addresses press in white blouse and beige vestImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Meloni is the first Western head of government to visit Lebanon since Israel launched its operation

    Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has just arrived in Beirut to meet with her Lebanese counterpart, Najib Mikati, her office says, making her the first Western leader to visit the country since Israel began its ground operation earlier this month.

    Meloni's visit also comes after she denounced Israeli forces for targeting members of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) on at least five separate occasions.

    Unifil is made up of some 10,000 peacekeepers from more than 50 countries, including Italy which has a 1,068-strong contingent in the country.

  7. Hamas leader's death will inspire 'resistance' - Iranian foreign ministerpublished at 14:23 British Summer Time 18 October

    We've now received some of the first reaction to Yahya Sinwar's death from Iran, a country that backs Hamas with funding, weapons and training.

    Iran's foreign minister has commemorated the Hamas leader in a post on X, saying Sinwar "did not fear death" and "bravely fought to the very end".

    In the post, Seyed Abbas Araghchi references a photo of what appears to be Sinwar's dead body, describing it as "a source of inspiration for resistance fighters across the region, Palestinian and non-Palestinian".

    He goes on to say that "the cause for liberation of Palestine from occupation is more alive than ever".

    Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas AraghchiImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, pictured earlier this year, commended the Hamas leader for fighting "bravely"

  8. Palestinians in Gaza 'don't believe' Sinwar's killing will change the warpublished at 13:59 British Summer Time 18 October

    We’ve also been hearing from some Palestinians in Gaza who have been telling the BBC World Service's Gaza Today what they think about Yahya Sinwar being killed by Israel.

    One man, who chose not to be identified, told the programme that though there were "differing opinions about" the Hamas leader, he doesn't see his death as changing things for people living in the Strip.

    "I don't believe this will change the dynamics of the conflict," he said, citing how the deaths of other senior Hezbollah and Hamas figures - like Hassan Nasrallah last month - has resulted in "nothing fundamentally" shifting.

    "Instead, tensions escalated further, raising concerns for us as Palestinians."

    Mohammed echoed those views, saying Sinwar's death "will not halt the ongoing crimes of the occupation in the Gaza Strip". But he added that he thinks it could influence the deal to exchange Israeli hostages being held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

    "We hope this will lead to an end to the aggression and the war that has persisted in the Gaza Strip for over a year."

  9. Sinwar's death a 'watershed moment', says Israeli hostage's familypublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 18 October

    Steve Brisley and his sister LianneImage source, Steve Brisley
    Image caption,

    Steve Brisley's sister, Lianne, was killed in the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on 7 October 2023

    We've just been hearing from Steve Brisley, whose sister and two nieces were killed in the deadly 7 October Hamas attack on Israel last year. His brother-in-law, Eli Sharabi, is still being held hostage in Gaza.

    Brisley tells BBC News that the "nightmare continues" for the families of hostages despite the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

    "I don't celebrate Sinwar's death, I draw no comfort from him. I'm glad he's gone but I'll celebrate when my brother-in-law and the other hostages walk to freedom alive," he says.

    Brisley describes the current situation as a "watershed moment" for getting the hostages back alive.

    "A deal has to be done. We have to turn what is a military achievement into a political, diplomatic achievement of getting all of the hostages home alive," he adds.

    He refers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that the return of the hostages was his "supreme obligation".

    "It's time for him to deliver on that obligation," he says.

    Yahel, Noiya and their family dog, MokkaImage source, Family Photo
    Image caption,

    Yahel, left, and Noiya, right, were killed along with their family dog, Mokka

  10. Two Israeli soldiers injured after Jordan border incident, IDF sayspublished at 13:41 British Summer Time 18 October

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has given an update on the incident where they killed two gunmen who crossed into the country from Jordan.

    As we reported earlier, the IDF said it had "neutralised" the fighters and they were looking for a possible third who had fled the scene, south of the Dead Sea.

    In the most recent update, the IDF says the two fighters "crossed a few metres over the border" and opened fire before they were killed by Israeli gunfire.

    During the fighting, two members of the Israeli military - one soldier and one reservist - were "lightly" and "moderately" injured.

    Both were evacuated to hospital for treatment, the IDF says.

    An ambulance arrives near Israel's border with Jordan, south of the Dead Sea, where the IDF says two fighters who crossed into Israel were killedImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    An ambulance arrives near Israel's border with Jordan, south of the Dead Sea, where the IDF says two fighters who crossed into Israel were killed

  11. Analysis

    What’s happened to Israel’s retaliation against Iran?published at 13:28 British Summer Time 18 October

    Frank Gardner
    Security correspondent

    These are eventful days in the Middle East and it can be hard to keep up. Assassinations in Beirut, Tehran and Gaza, airstrikes in Lebanon, drone strikes in Galilee, defiant vows of vengeance from bemedalled military spokesmen in Yemen.

    Half-buried amidst all these events is Israel’s promise to hit back at Iran for its massive barrage of ballistic missiles launched on 1 October. After more than two weeks it is tempting to think the US may have talked Israel out of if. After all, the last thing the White House and the Democrats want is to see either an oil price spike or to get dragged into yet another Middle East war, all with a presidential election just around the corner.

    But Israeli military planners have spent much of the last 17 days locked in consultation with their US allies from Centcom, US Central Command, the part of the Department of Defence that deals with the Middle East.

    With Iran’s suspect nuclear facilities and oil installations probably off the table as targets it is thought most likely that Israel’s delayed retaliation - if and when it comes - will hit bases belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and the Basij, a deeply unpopular paramilitary force that puts down public protests.

  12. Hamas official says Sinwar's death will only strengthen grouppublished at 13:18 British Summer Time 18 October

    Some more details now on the speech that Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy leader of Hamas, has just delivered on the killing of Yahya Sinwar.

    The senior Hamas official says the group will continue on its path to achieving the Palestinian people's ambitions, adding that Sinwar's death will only strengthen the group.

    He adds that the Israeli hostages will not be returned until the aggression on Gaza ends and there is a full withdrawal of Israeli forces in the Strip.

    Al-Hayya is the most senior man in Hamas after the leader, Sinwar, who was killed during a routine search for Hamas members in Rafah on Thursday.

    A file photo of the senior Hamas official is seen from earlier this yearImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Al-Hayya, pictured earlier this year, is the most senior man in Hamas after its recently killed leader, Yahya Sinwar

  13. Senior Hamas leader confirms Yahya Sinwar's deathpublished at 13:06 British Summer Time 18 October
    Breaking

    A senior Hamas official has just confirmed the death of the group's leader, Yahya Sinwar.

    In a video statement, Khalil al-Hayya goes on to say that Sinwar died in combat.

    We'll bring you more details on this as we get them. Stay with us.

  14. Israel will push to eradicate Hezbollah, not to contain it - analystpublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 18 October

    Orla Guerin
    Senior international correspondent, in Beirut

    The killing of Yahya Sinwar in Gaza has left many in Beirut fearing that the war here will worsen, because Israel can now focus more of its attention – and firepower – on Lebanon.

    “The centre of gravity has totally shifted,“ says Sami Nader, who leads the Institute of Political Science at Saint Joseph University of Beirut. “I think they [Israel] will put all the pressure on Lebanon.”

    He says that before 7 October last year, Israel’s approach was to “manage“ security problems, but not anymore. “Now there is a total paradigm shift, and they will push to eradicate Hezbollah, not to contain it,” he says.

    However, he also sees a possibility for de-escalation in the regional conflict between Israel and Hezbollah’s patron, Iran.

    “The Iranian side are more realistic than we think,” he says. “And they can back down and strike a deal, but not before the US elections."

  15. IDF sending more reserves to northern Israelpublished at 12:49 British Summer Time 18 October

    Following on from issuing evacuation orders for residents in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has just recently announced that its calling up an additional reserve brigade for operational missions in Israel's north.

    In a statement posted on its official Telegram channel, the IDF adds that the move will "enable the continuation of combat efforts" against Hezbollah and " the achievement of the goals of the war, including the safe return of the residents of northern Israel to their homes".

    • For context: About 60,000 people have been evacuated from northern Israel because of near-daily attacks by Hezbollah, while Israel's continuing air strikes have forced more than a million from their homes across Lebanon.
  16. Mapped: IDF orders more people in Lebanon's south to move northpublished at 12:39 British Summer Time 18 October

    Earlier today, we reported on the issuing of an urgent evacuation order by the Israeli military for 23 villages in southern Lebanon, which have been marked out on the map below.

    A map showing the locations in the evacuation order

    A lot of the villages identified this morning by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been subject to evacuation orders previously, and have pre-empted Israeli attacks.

    Lebanon has endured weeks of aerial bombardment that Lebanese authorities say has killed more than 2,300 people and forced more than 1.2 million to flee their homes.

  17. Biden and Scholz see Sinwar's death as a moment for changepublished at 12:30 British Summer Time 18 October

    Paul Kirby
    Europe digital editor

    US President Joe Biden (L) is welcomed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for talks at the Chancellery in Berlin, on October 18, 2024Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Joe Biden is on his first trip to Berlin since he became president

    Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's death represents a "moment of justice", says US President Joe Biden, who is holding talks in Berlin with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

    While Biden said Sinwar had the blood of Americans, Israelis, Palestinians, Germans and many others on his hands, the two leaders agreed that his death offered an opportunity.

    Scholz said Sinwar's demise hopefully cleared a path to the "concrete prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza and an agreement on the release of Hamas's hostages". Biden said he had told Israel's prime minister: "Let's also make this an opportunity to seek a path to peace - a better future in Gaza without Hamas."

    Biden will also meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France's Emmanuel Macron during his stay in Berlin. As well as events in the Middle East, they're also expected to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine.

    Biden told reporters that the West had to maintain support for Ukraine in its fight for survival and he spoke of a "surge" of support for Ukraine's military and further help to shore up its devastated infrastructure.

  18. What's been happening today?published at 12:14 British Summer Time 18 October

    The fallout from the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar isn't yet apparent, but we're continuing to follow reaction and other developments in the conflict across the region. Here's what you need to know:

  19. Analysis

    What do we know about the attack that killed Yahya Sinwar?published at 11:49 British Summer Time 18 October

    The Visual Journalism Team
    BBC News

    We've been looking into the details of the incident in which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed the leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar.

    Israel says its troops were on patrol in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah, which has been devastated by their operations against Hamas, when they spotted three gunmen.

    Satellite image shows the damaged buildings of Tal al-Sultan in Rafah from above. Inset map of Gaza shows Rafah is in the south of the Strip. Label shows where Israeli patrol spotted fighters and opened fire.

    After exchanging gunfire, one of the gunmen fled into one of the few buildings still standing in the area.

    The IDF used a drone to enter the building through a window and located the man on the first floor, who was sitting in a chair with his face covered.

    Image shows the shell of a building with windows on first floor with no glass in. Most of the ground floor walls are missing and there is rubble on the ground.Image source, IDF

    A video taken by the drone and released by the IDF, shows the man throw a stick at it. Israeli forces shelled the building shortly afterwards, killing the man later identified as Sinwar.

    Image shows a room with two armchairs positioned facing each other. On one is the outline of a figure who has their face covered, except for their eyes.Image source, IDF
  20. Senior Hamas official says deaths of leaders not 'the end of our movement'published at 11:27 British Summer Time 18 October

    Basem Naim of HamasImage source, Reuters

    A senior Hamas official says the group "cannot be eliminated" with the killing of its leaders - but did not confirm the death of its chief Yahya Sinwar.

    Hamas Political Bureau member, Basem Naim, has released a statement saying: "It seems that Israel believes that killing our leaders means the end of our movement and the struggle of the Palestinian people."

    Naim goes on to say that it is not the first time Israel has said something like this - referring to killings of previous Hamas leaders - saying they became “icons” for future generations.

    He goes on to describe Hamas as a liberation movement “which cannot be eliminated” adding that the group believes its destiny is “either victory or martyrdom.”

    "Yes it’s very painful and distressing to lose beloved people, especially extraordinary leaders like ours,” he says, “but what we are sure of is that we are eventually victorious; this is the outcome for all people who fought for their liberty